Someone looking to get their first professional-quality headshots taken might find themselves surprised by the price. Why are they so expensive and how do photographers justify charging so much money for so little of their time?
Kevin Patrick Robbins has spent his fair share of time in the headshot photography business, and in this short video, he runs through why this type of photographic service costs as much as it does. KPR makes an excellent point when it comes to what many assume is calculated as an hourly rate: a client is not paying for a photographer’s time. As he explains, there’s a lot more to it than that. As he emphasizes, more time does not mean better quality.
Wedding photographers will also be able to relate to clients assuming that their services should be a lot cheaper, especially when their cousin’s daughter’s new boyfriend has offered to shoot the entire day for a couple of hundred dollars.
Convincing clients that paying good money for professional services means receiving a high-quality product can be exhausting, especially when you’re competing with photographers who are more than prepared to work at low rates in order to add to their portfolio. Fortunately, videos like this make it easier to explain to prospective clients why your services cost so much.
How do you explain to clients why your headshots cost what they cost? Let us know in the comments below.
Ask the client how much he charges per hour for his services, then ask why would someone pay him that much when it's possible to have the same services offshore at a fraction of the cost.
Headshots don’t have to be expensive. If you look around there are plenty of great photographers offering services at reasonable rates. Plenty of others are underpricing and still others are overpricing. Price is only a reflection of how any particular photographer values their own time and skillset. It’s not a reflection of quality, value, or anything else.
If you price your product based on what it costs you to run your business then you will go bust quick smart. Prices are generally based on the value to the customer, and if you have a strong brand then that factors in too (it's called marketing). No client ever cared that you pay for memberships of professional associations or used Broncolor strobes rather than Jinbei. They just want good results and if those expenses/investments help you achieve that then that's your decision.
It is entirely possible to make very decent money charging $100 per headshot - you just have to do a lot of them. It is also possible to make excellent money charging $1000 per headshot but you won't get away with knocking them off in 5 mins each.
There are many different business models involved with what I think of as 'retail' photography - weddings, family portraits, headshots, corporate portraits etc. Some are based on time, some on sitting fees some on print sales. Do what works for you, but never try to justify your prices by whining about costs!
charge the amount people are willing to pay you. the rest is irrelevant.
Its best to ask the full details of the services for outdoor job. But focus more on giving quality services.
I've gotten quality corporate headshots for much less than $200 a shot. As a creative director, I never hired a photographer for just one headshot. Usually I group everyone I need shot into a half day. Now, for myself, I never charged more than $150 for a single standard headshot. I am not referring to a conceptual portrait for a feature story. Client comes in, you direct them in front of a backdrop and shoot. Should not take more than 10 mins for the photo and about 15 min process and print. Hell, I've done headshots for agencies for 55 a pop. I get about 100 models and make $5500 for 4 hours of shooting and if I did everything right, about 10 to 15 mins on the comp.
I respect the guy charging what he charges, but to say beware a photog that charges less than $200 a headshot because they suck. Is a very arrogant thing to say.